DATE=5/22/99
TYPE=CORRESPONDENT REPORT
NUMBER=2-249676
TITLE=SUDAN/NIMEIRI (L-ONLY)
BYLINE=LISA BRYANT
DATELINE=CAIRO
CONTENT=
VOICED AT:
INTRO: FORMER SUDANESE PRESIDENT JAFAAR NIMEIRI RETURNED HOME
SATURDAY AFTER 14 YEARS IN EXILE IN EGYPT. FROM CAIRO, LISA
BRYANT REPORTS THAT MR. NIMEIRI HAS URGED OTHER SUDANESE
OPPOSITION LEADERS TO GO BACK AS WELL.
TEXT: FORMER PRESIDENT NIMEIRI RECEIVED A RESOUNDING WELCOME AS
THOUSANDS OF SUPPORTERS TURNED OUT TO GREET HIM, AND A LARGE
DELEGATION OF HIGH-LEVEL GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS MET HIS PLANE,
WHICH LANDED IN KHARTOUM AT ABOUT 10 A-M LOCAL TIME.
MR. NIMEIRI, WEARING FLOWING WHITE ROBES AND A TURBAN, KNELT IN
PRAYER ON THE TARMAC, AND WAVED TO HIS SUPPORTERS.
LATER, THE FORMER PRESIDENT TOLD REPORTERS HE WANTED TO HELP
BUILD A POLITICAL ORGANIZATION AND BRING PEACE TO SUDAN. HIS
AIM, HE SAID, WAS NOT TO SEEK POLITICAL POWER.
BUT IN AN INTERVIEW WITH V-O-A EARLIER THIS MONTH, MR. NIMEIRI
DID NOT RULE OUT A PRESIDENTIAL BID, IF ELECTIONS WERE HELD
WITHIN TWO YEARS, AND IF HIS SUPPORTERS WANTED HIM TO RUN.
MEANWHILE, THE SUDANESE GOVERNMENT HAS REPORTEDLY RENOVATED A
HOME FOR MR. NIMEIRI, AND SUPPORTERS ARE PLANNING A RALLY FOR HIM
NEXT WEEK.
AS SUDAN'S PRESIDENT BETWEEN 1969 AND 1985, MR. NIMEIRI PRESIDED
OVER A RARE 10-YEAR PERIOD OF PEACE IN THE COUNTRY, WHICH HAS
BEEN FIGHTING A CIVIL WAR ON AND OFF SINCE INDEPENDENCE. BUT MR.
NIMEIRI'S IMPOSITION OF ISLAMIC SHARIA LAW IN 1983 ALIENATED
MOSTLY CHRISTIAN AND ANIMIST SOUTHERN SUDAN, AND TRIGGERED
RENEWED FIGHTING.
BEFORE LEAVING FOR SUDAN, MR. NIMEIRI TOLD AN ARABIC NEWSPAPER HE
BELIEVED TWO OF SUDAN'S MAIN OPPOSITION LEADERS -- FORMER PRIME
MINISTER SADIQ EL MAHDI AND THE HEAD OF AN OPPOSITION UMBRELLA
GROUP, MOHAMMED OSMAN AL MIRGANI -- SHOULD ALSO RETURN TO SUDAN.
MR. EL MAHDI, WHO MET WITH A KEY SUDANESE LEADER IN GENEVA THIS
MONTH, HAS SAID THE GOVERNMENT AND OPPOSITION PARTIES MAY MEET IN
THE NEAR FUTURE. BUT OPPOSITION GROUPS HAVE CRITICIZED THE
MEETING, AND SAY THE GOVERNMENT IS TRYING TO DIVIDE THEM.
THE SUDANESE GOVERNMENT ALSO APPEARS TO BE TRYING TO MEND FRAYED
TIES WITH NEIGHBORING COUNTRIES, INCLUDING ERITREA AND EGYPT. AN
EGYPTIAN DELEGATION FLEW TO SUDAN THIS WEEK, TO RECOVER
PROPERTIES ANNEXED BY THE SUDANESE GOVERNMENT. (SIGNED)
NEB/LB/ALW/GE
22-May-99 11:22 AM EDT (1522 UTC)
NNNN
Source: Voice of America
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